Remembering Robert Bloom

“To save a child, whatever it takes.”

That was the Jewish Children’s Bureau (JCB) tagline when Dr. Robert Bloom was at the helm of the agency, and it was also the guiding principle of his life.

Bloom, who served as executive director of JCB and its successor organization, JCFS Chicago, from 1988 to 2009, died Aug. 9 at age 87.

For 40 years, Bloom worked as a teacher, therapist, consultant, program director, and executive administrator in the fields of educational and psychological services to children with disabilities and their families.

“Bob was an incredible leader, mentor, teacher and therapist,” said JUF Chicago Operating Officer David Rubovits, who worked closely with Bloom at JCB. “He also was the most passionate and dedicated advocate that a kid could ever have. His influence in raising the bar for services for young people with intellectual/developmental disabilities or behavioral challenges will continue to be felt for generations to come.”

In 2006, Bloom presided over the merger of Jewish Children’s Bureau and Jewish Family Service, which created Jewish Child & Family Services–now called JCFS Chicago. The new entity offered a comprehensive continuum of social services throughout the life cycle, with a larger platform that enabled it to take on more ambitious and creative projects. Many of those initiatives included expanded services to help people with disabilities maximize their potential.

Before coming to JCB, Bloom was Chairman of Special Education at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where he developed the nation’s first special education program that included working with families of children with disabilities. He integrated work with families and work with children as the Director of Residential Treatment at Bellefaire JCB in Cleveland.

Nationally renowned for his work with seriously disturbed teens, in a 2009 interview prior to his retirement Bloom said that throughout his career he was most energized by “helping kids cope with tough issues and making a difference in their lives.

“No matter how big your issue was, my job was to help you master it and overcome it,” he said.

He taught courses on child development and childhood psychopathology and published widely; his work on institutional child abuse is now standard practice in the field and he was a Reuters registered expert witness on this topic.

President Carter appointed Bloom as a consultant to the White House Conference on Families, representing families with members who had disabilities, and President Reagan appointed him to the national adoption advisory board. In addition, he was appointed to a variety of child welfare-related commissions and advisory councils by the governors of four different states.

Widely respected for his leadership style, Bloom prided himself on empowering his staff with the authority and resources they needed to succeed.

Bloom, who often quipped that the business of taking care of people was too serious to let it become too serious, was known for his irreverent sense of humor, as well as his unabashed sentimentality and his cheery collection of ties, which promoted international agencies devoted to child welfare.

He held a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago, an MA from Northeastern Illinois University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, which recognized him with a Distinguished Alumni Award. Bloom also completed specialized training in related fields at Columbia and Harvard Universities.

Nancy, Bloom’s wife of 63 years, is a retired family therapist. Longtime residents of Highland Park, the couple had four children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Linda S. Haase is JUF’s Senior Associate Vice President of Marketing Communications.